Adjustable rudder.



Patgnted. act. 15,. 190i. E. F.WEES & w. n. MARTIN.

ADJUSTABLE BUDDEB.

(Application filed Feb. 2, 1901.)

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Patented 001%. I5, I901. E. F. WEES 8:. W. H. MARTIN.

ADJUSTABLE RUDDEB.

' (Application filed Feb. 2, 1901.)

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Wiigzsszs UNITED STATES rrIcE.

PATE T ELIJAl-l FLEET \VEES, OF POINT PLEASANT, VEST VIRGINIA, AND WILLIAM HARRY MARTIN, OF

GALLTPOLIS, OHIO.

ADJUSTABLE R UDDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,486, dated October 1 5, 1901.

Application filed February 2, 1901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ELIJAH FLEET WEEs, residing at Point Pleasant, in the county of Mason and State of WVest Virginia, and WVI LP LIAM HARRY MARTIN, residing at Gallipolis, in the county of Gallia and State of Ohio, citizens of the United States, have invented a new and useful Adjustable Rudder, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rudders for boats; and it has for its object to provide a rudder which may be adjusted to vary its draft to secure a most efficient operation under different working conditions.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a mechanical structure as will be easily operated and which will be cheap, simple, and durable.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following description.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing one form of rudder attached to a boat and having its extension in lowered position. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the construction shown in Fig. l and illustrating the extension in raised position. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view showing a portion of the after end of the rudder with the hinged section of the shoe. Fig. 1 is a View partly in section and partly in elevation and showing the invention embodied in a different form. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a partial section on line 6 6 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, in this embodiment of the invention, 10 represents a tubular rudder-post having a rudder-blade 11 attached to the lower portion thereof and extending rearwardly therefrom, and this rudder-post is attached pivotally to the sternpost 12 of a vessel by means of metallic straps 13, which are engaged with the post 10 and have alining perforations which receive the rudder-bolt 14, engaged also with alining perforations 15 in straps 16, engaged with the stern-post 12. I

The blade 11 of the rudder is hollow, as

Serial No. 45,767. (No model.)

shown, and in this hollow portion,which coinmunicates with the tube of the rudder post, is disposed a slidable and extensible supplemental rudder-blade 17, the lower edge of the rudder-blade 11 being open to permit. of the supplemental blade being projected therethrough, and thus to increase the draft of the rudder. To thus project the supplemental rudder-blade through the opening at the bottom of the main blade and to withdraw it into the main blade, as desired, and, furthermore, to vary the projection of the blade under different working conditions, the supplemental blade has a shaft or stem 18 attached thereto and which is passed upwardly through and out at the top of the rudder-post 10, and the upper port-ion of this shaft or stem is provided with screw-threads 19,with which is engaged a nut in the form of a hand-wheel 20, which rests upon the upper end of the post 10. Thus by rotating this hand-wheel in one direction it will be screwed upon the stem 18 to raise the supplemental rudder-blade, and by rotating it in an opposite direction it will be run up the stem, and the stem, with the supplemental blade,wiil be permitted to sink and to project from the bottom of the main blade.

To prevent torsional strain on the stem 18 at its point of connection with the supplemental blade and which would tend to break the stem from the blade, the stem is slot-ted longitudinally at intervals, as shown at 21, and with these slots are engaged pins 22, passed transversely through the rudder-post. The pins permit of longitudinal movement of the stem in the rudder-post while preventing rotation thereof in the post, and any number of pins may of course be used.

A shoe 23 is secured to the lower edge of the supplemental rudder-blade and projects laterally therefrom at both sides of the blade. A hinge has one leaf 24 attached to the under face of the main rudder-blade in the rear of the supplemental blade, and its opposite end is disposed against the under face of the shoe and is connected thereto by headed bolts engaged with the leaf and disposed slidably in slots 23 and 2 1, formed longitudinally of the shoe, This hinge forms a continuation of the shoe and prevents the extension of the blade with the main shoe from engaging on snags and other obstructions when the boat is running or backing.

In addition to the hand-wheel for raising the supplemental blade a tackle, including a line 27 and a pulley 27, is provided, and the stem has an eye 26 for attachment of the tackle, so that by drawing upon the line the supplemental blade may be raised. This tackle may be used under whatever conditions .may be deemed desirable.

To swing the rudder, a tiller 28 is provided and is engaged with a socket-piece 29 upon the rudder-post, said tiller having the usual braces, as shown, and to limit the swing of the rudder the main blade thereof is provided with stops 30, which project outwardly and forwardly therefrom to strike the stern of the vessel.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 of the drawings there is shown a balanced rudder,wherein the rudder-blade projects both forwardly and rearwardly of the post. In this construction the post 40 is tubularand communicates with the hollow rudder-blade 41, in which latter is slidably disposed the supplemental blade 42,hav ing the threaded stem 43, which is disposed within and projects from the top of the rudder-post and is provided with a hand-wheel 44, engaged with the threads. This handwheel is for adjusting the supplemental blade in the same manner as described in connection with the construction shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The rudder is pivotally connected with the stern-post of the vessel in the usual manner and is provided with a tiller 46. Hinges 47 and 48 are disposed one at the forward end of the rudder and the other at the rear end thereof, one leaf being attached to the under side of the main blade and the other leaf being disposed against the under face of the shoe 49 of the supplemental blade and to which it is connected slidably by means of the bolts and slots, as shown.

What is claimed is 1. A rudder comprising a main blade, a supplemental blade adapted to project beyond the main blade to increase the area thereof, and a hinged plate arranged on the exterior of the rudder at the bottom thereof and connected with the main blade and with the supplemental blade, substantially as described.

2. A rudder comprising a main blade and a supplemental blade slidably engaged with .the main blade for projection therefrom to vary the effective surface of the rudder, said supplemental blade having a shoe projecting laterally therefrom, and plates hinged to the main blade and slidably connected with the shoe to lie against the under side thereof.

3. A rudder comprisinga main blade, asup plemental blade adapted to project beyond the main blade, and a plate arranged on the exterior'of the rudder at the bottom thereof and connecting the blades, said plate being hinged to one of the blades and slidably connected with the other blade, substantially as described.

4. A rudder comprising a tubular post, a hollow main blade, a supplemental blade arranged within the main blade and having a stem extending through the tubular post and provided with a longitudinal slot,a pin mounted on the post and extending through the slot of the stem, means connected with the top of the stem, for raising and lowering the supplemental blade, and the exterior plate arranged at the bottom of the rudder and connecting the blades and adapted to swing upward and downward, substantially as described 5. Arudder comprisingahollow main blade, a tubular post extending upward from the main blade at a point between the ends thereof, a supplemental blade arranged within the hollow main blade and provided between its ends with a stem arranged in the tubular post, means for raising and lowering the stem, and the hinged blades arranged at the ends of the mainblade and adapted to lie against the under side thereof, and slidably connected with the supplemental blade, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ELIJAH FLEET VVEES. l/VILLIAM HARRY MARTIN.

Witnesses:

T. P. LLOYD, M. D. HARTINGER. 

